缅因州民主党参议员候选人格雷厄姆·普拉特纳在周一发表性侵犯指控后，面临退出竞选的呼吁。
普拉特纳称这一指控“完全错误”并表示他正在“花时间思考前进的最佳路径”
在政治的一份报告中，前女友珍妮·瑞西科特声称，五年前他们约会时，在她多次呼吁普拉特纳停止性行为后，未经她的同意强迫她发生性行为。
美国广播公司新闻尚未证实政治故事的内容。
报告发布后，缅因州民主党呼吁普拉特纳退出竞选。
“在过去的几周里，多名女性对格雷厄姆·普拉特纳提出了严肃而可信的指控。党主席查理·丁曼、副主席伊姆克·舍斯勒和执行董事德文·墨菲-安德森在一份联合声明中说:“今天的声明进一步证实了这些指控。”。“缅因州民主党领导层呼吁格雷厄姆·普拉特纳退出美国参议院民主党候选人提名。缅因州民主党领导层与妇女和幸存者站在一起，这一原则不会因党派关系而改变。我们尊重做出艰难决定挺身而出的女性。直言不讳往往代价高昂。”
一些高调的民主党人也撤回了他们的支持。
参议院民主党领袖查克·舒默和参议员柯尔斯顿·吉利布兰德，民主党参议员竞选委员会主席呼吁普拉特纳退出竞选，并表示如果普拉特纳不退出，委员会将不会投资竞选。
“今天报道的指控令人非常不安——暴力、虐待和性侵犯是绝对不可接受的。舒默和吉利布兰德写道:“格雷厄姆·普拉特纳需要立即退出参议院民主党提名，让缅因州民主党人有机会选择一位可以击败苏珊·科林斯的新候选人。”
加利福尼亚州众议员罗·卡纳也敦促普拉特纳退出竞选。
“我一直很清楚，对女性的性侵犯或暴力是一条红线。这些指控是非常严重和可信的。格雷厄姆·普拉特纳应该退出竞选。我收回我的支持，“康纳说在x上的一个帖子里。
亚利桑那州参议员鲁本·加莱戈宣布撤回他的支持。
“对格雷厄姆·普拉特纳的指控令人不安，而且非常严重。我要撤销我的支持，“加莱戈说在x上的一个帖子里。
在缅因州6月9日的初选之前，Racicot向《纽约时报》讲述了她与Platner的关系。她告诉政治，她私下向《泰晤士报》谈了这件事。她现在被指控犯有殴打罪。
Racicot在Politco的故事中说，她赞同Platner的政治观点，这也是她为什么花时间来分享她的指控的部分原因。
在周一下午发布的一份书面声明中，普拉特纳的竞选团队表示，“这些指控非常严重，格雷厄姆坚决否认。他们还接受州外机构人员的指导和协调。
自从发起竞选活动以来，普拉特纳面临着许多丑闻，包括向多名女性发送露骨的色情短信，以及一个带有纳粹象征的纹身。他说他不知道自己的纹身有纳粹关联，知道后就掩盖了。
“一年来，这场运动的反对者竭尽全力攻击格雷厄姆——称他为纳粹分子、战犯和共产主义者，”竞选声明说。“这些都不是真的，这也没什么不同。这不是一个巧合，这个故事发生在投票截止日期前一周，就像之前的虚假指控发生在初选前一周一样。格雷厄姆发起这场运动，是为了建立一个每个人都受到尊重、所有人都被放在第一位的缅因州，无论多少绝望的诽谤都无法阻止这场运动实现这一愿景。”
普拉特纳的共和党对手，现任参议员苏珊·科林斯说，对普拉特纳的指控“令人震惊”，但他说，“尽管如此，这不是由我来选择民主党参议员提名人。”
如果普拉特纳决定退出参议员竞选，他还有一些时间。如果候选人在下午5点或之前退出竞选大选前七月的第二个星期一政治委员会将能够作出替换提名，根据缅因州法规.
这意味着普拉特纳将不得不退出7月13日下午5点前为了让该党在大选中取代他。派对会有直到7月27日提名一个替代者。
如果候选人退出在...之后在7月13日的最后期限之前，该党没有任何办法提名替代人选。
这意味着，如果普拉特纳在那个日期后退出，民主党人将无法为参议院提名候选人-这对共和党人来说是一个福音，因为柯林斯可能只会面对相对不知名的第三方或独立候选人。
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Platner faces calls to withdraw after sexual assault allegation
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing calls to withdraw from the race after an allegation of sexual assault published Monday.
Platner called the allegation "categorically false"and said he is "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward."
In a Politico report, Jenny Racicot, a former girlfriend, alleged that Platner, while they were dating five years ago, forced her into having sex without her consent after she had repeatedly called for him to stop.
ABC News has not confirmed the contents of the Politico story.
In the wake of the report, the Maine Democratic Party called on Platner to withdraw from the race.
"Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today's statements take those allegations even further," party Chair Charlie Dingman, Vice Chair Imke Schessler and Exective Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a joint statement. "Maine Democratic Party leadership is calling on Graham Platner to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. The Maine Democratic Party leadership stands with women and survivors, and that principle does not bend based on party affiliation. We respect the women who made the hard decision to come forward. Speaking up is often costly."
Some high-profile Democrats also withdrew their endorsements.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand,who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, called on Platner to withdraw and said the committee would not invest in the race if Platner doesn't.
"The allegations reported today are incredibly disturbing -- violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable. Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins," Schumer and Gillibrand wrote.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California also urged Platner to drop out of the race.
"I've been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement," Khannasaidin a post on X.
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego announced that he was withdrawing his endorsement.
"The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious. I am rescinding my endorsement," Gallegosaidin a post on X.
Racicot spoke to the New York Times about her relationship with Platner ahead of Maine's June 9 primary. She told Politico that she spoke to the Times off the record about the incident. She is now going on the record with the alleged assault.
Racicot said in the Politco story that she shares Platner's politics, which was, in part, why it took her time to share her allegation.
In a written statement released on Monday afternoon, Platner's campaign said, "These allegations are very serious and Graham vigorously denies them. They are also coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives."
Platner has faced a number of scandals since he launched his campaign, including sending sexually explicit texts to multiple women and a tattoo with Nazi symbolism. He said he didn't know his tattoo had a Nazi association and covered it up when he learned about it.
"For a year, opponents of this campaign have thrown everything they can at Graham -- calling him a Nazi, a war criminal, and a communist," the campaign statement said. "None of it has been true and this is no different. It is not a coincidence that this story comes a week before the ballot deadline, just as the previous false allegations came a week before the primary. Graham began this campaign to fight for a Maine where everyone is treated with dignity and where Mainers are put first, and no amount of desperate smears will stop this movement from seeing that vision through."
Platner's Republican opponent, incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, said the allegations against Platner are "appalling," but said, "Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate."
Platner still has some time to withdraw from the Senate race if he decides to.If a candidate withdraws "on or before 5 p.m.of the 2nd Monday in July preceding the general election,"a political committee would be able to make a replacement nomination,according to Maine statute.
That means Platner would have to withdrawbefore July 13 at 5 p.m.in order for the party to replace him for the general election. The party would haveuntil July 27to nominate a replacement.
If a candidate withdrawsafterthat July 13 deadline, the party does not have any way to nominate a replacement.
That means if Platner withdrew after that date, Democrats would not be able to field a candidate for Senate -- which would be a boon to Republicans, as Collins would likely face only relatively unknown third-party or independent candidates.
